Friday, June 18, 2010

The Rev. Carlos Torres, senior pastor of the Elim Pentecostal Church, recently gave me a tour of 193 Avenue B, which was nearly lost during a fire in October 2006. This space between 11th Street and 12th Street was a movie theater for many years, first the Bijou, then the Charles. The theater closed in 1975. At that time, Torres' uncle bought the space to use as a community center and place of worship.

Since the fire, Torres and his congregation have been renting space at another church on Avenue A. Here's a look inside the currently unoccupied building, which opened as the Bijou in 1926...

There have been several plans to rebuild or redevelop the space. I'll have more on the future of this space another day. Thanks to Rev. Torres for the tour.

I've been dying to get in there since you last posted photos. It looks like it's a building past it's last gasp. Nothing to see on the outside but the inside must have been something grand in it's day.

My father took me to the Charles in 1962 to see Phaedra with Melina Mercouri and Anthony Perkins. For those of us that grew up in ST/PCV, it was the only legitimate movie house in the EV east of 2nd Ave that I can recall.

Named one of the best NYC Neighborhood blogs in 2015

Named Best Local Website New York 2014 by The Village Voice

Named one of the Essential NYC neighborhood blogs 2014

By the way

Here, you'll find things that you may or may not be interested in about the East Village and other parts of New York City. Appreciating what's here while it's still here. Remembering what's no longer here. Wishing some things weren't here that are here.

We love tips

Have a story idea or tip about something happening in the East Village? Or maybe a photo? Or several photos? Or video! We'd love to hear about it. Or see it. Or something. Please go here to submit a tip.

Named Best Neighborhood Blog in the First Annual Village Voice Web Awards